hey guys..i am considering self publishing and ebook of short fiction of about 5-8 stories of about 3000 words or so...would i need to copywrite each story individually or can i go ahead and file as product since it's going to be a book? thanks....
In most countries, Copyright exists the moment you complete a work. If you are talking about registering copyright, I would do so for every short story separately. Why take chances? In either case you might google 'copyright'. There are a lot of great articles out there. It's worth taking the time to understand.
There is a stickied thread under Writing Issues->General Writing: Writing Resource Links. It includes authoritative links on copyright law. Note that the word is copyright, not copywrite. TD: Registering copyright on every piece of writing is a waste of time and money. You are protected by copyright law anyway, and you only need to register before you take someone to court for infringing on your copyright. Keep all your drafts for provenance. That is your best protection.
3 Questions About Copyright 1. I intend to self-publish under a pseudonym. When I write the copyright statement in the front of my novel, do I write 'Copyright (c) _date_ _my real name_' or 'Copyright (c) _date_ _pseudonym_'? I.e, what name is it copyrighted to? 2. Does the "The right of _my name_ to be identified as the Author of the Work has been asserted to him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988" part apply as soon as I produce the work in tangible form, or do I have get the work copyrighted and registered before this applies? 3. If I want to self publish through Kindle Direct Publishing, is it required that I have the work registered, or does the copyright automatically exist? Many thanks.
I can only really answer 3: I believe that it is automatic, since it can go on to Kindle without your knowledge (I believe) I myself own a kindle, you might be getting a bit of moola if you sell it
If you are entering the legal statements, and you are not a literary lawyer, you had best consult with one. There is nothing automatic about registration. If you are adamant about self-publishing, you maust become an expert in all aspects of publishing in addition to everything you need to know about writing. A publisher typically registers your copyright for you, but if you are to be the publisher, that task will also fall to you. You should rethink your decision to self-publish, it you are doing it because you think it is easier.
Thank you. No, I know the process isn't easy which is why I'm trying to get as good an idea about it as possible. As a separate point, slightly disconcerting to have my thread merged with another, but I guess the two were reasonably similar.
